Fragile Dreams, Chapter 23



written by Christine

Chapter 23

Sesshomaru, Akina and Tennu stepped out of the portal at the Castle and one of the guards sprinted off to announce their arrival. Kai ran up to them and received a hug from his aunt. “Nice dress,” Kai said to Akina. “Why thank you kind sir,” she said back. “Did you shock him?” Kai whispered nodding toward Tennu. “What do you think?” she whispered back. They giggled and Akina put her arm around Kai’s waist. As they passed the entrance to the courtyard, Akina paused. She sniffed at the air. There was something familiar on the breeze. “What is it?” Kai asked with concern. The other two heard and returned to her. Down the hallway of the Castle, through the open doorway footsteps could be heard as Aara and Vash were rushing to intercept them. “Sesshie, do you smell that?” Akina asked. Sesshomaru sniffed and was about to say something when the Princess and Vash caught up to them. He turned to face the two, waiting for them to catch their breath. Akina didn’t wait to hear their conversation. She was much too interested in the scent she had caught. “It smells like Mother,” she said to herself, as she entered the courtyard, Kai was the only one that heard her and saw her enter the courtyard. He was torn between staying with his father and following his aunt who had never been to the Castle before. He chose the later and rushed after her. “Sesshomaru,” Aara said still breathing hard. “Princess, I know you’ve met my son; this is my sister, Aki…” he turned to motion her forward and noticed both she and his son were both gone. “Akina?” he called as he visually hunted for her. He looked at Tennu who shrugged and shook his head.

	“Sesshomaru, never mind that. She can’t go far,” Aara said placing a hand on his arm. “InuYasha found your mother.” “My mother? Where?” He thought of the scent his sister had caught from the courtyard. “Well, she was here,” Aara started but then hesitated.

“She left her room and we don’t know were she is,” Vash continued. “She was badly wounded and unconscious when she arrived. Kaiba and Kain healed her and Rin was watching over her but she fell to sleep for a few minutes. Your mother was gone when she awoke.” “Tell Rin not to fret about it,” Sesshomaru said. “Mother is good at slipping away.” He turned and stepped into the courtyard. “Where are you going?” Aara asked, following him. “I think I know where she is," he said.

Kai watched Akina walk to a corner of the garden and circled the fountain with the unicorn figurine in the center. She could smell the scent all around that area but she couldn’t see the source. Kai watched as she closed her eyes and called upon her other senses to guide her. Suddenly his aunt leaped over the flowering hedge that surrounded the corner that came off the south tower.

	Akina landed gracefully on the other side of the hedge and opened her eyes. There, lying on the ground asleep in a semi-upright position was a Unicorn. Looking behind her, Akina could see Kai and the fountain through the entrance that was hidden from view when she was on the other side. The woman mage didn’t move or speak in fear that her mother would vanish like another dream or vision.

"Akina caught her scent when we passed the inner courtyard entrance.” Sesshomaru said to the following group as he walked to the corner of the garden. There he saw his son. “Where is Akina?” Sesshomaru asked Kai. He pointed to the hedge. “She jumped over it,” the young man said. Sesshomaru looked at the hedge. “That’s not suppose to be here,” Aara said. “There’s suppose to be a gateway here.” Sesshomaru walked up to the hedge, and touched it, closing his eyes. The others watched as the illusion ripple and then vanish. On the other side laid a sleeping Unicorn with his sister sitting nearby on the grass. She motioned to the people in the gateway to be quiet and to not get too close. Vash put his hands on Aara and Tennu’s shoulders. “I think this is a family moment,” he whispered as he gently but firmly guided them away. They ran into InuYasha on the way back. “Let them get reacquainted,” Vash said. “There will be time later for your reunion.” InuYasha reluctantly nodded and followed them inside.

The three of them sat together on the grass against the hedge watching the sleeping Unicorn. The rest of the usually busy garden was empty. Aara posted guards at each of the entrances with instructions to allow no one passage unless it was a life or death emergency. She also worried briefly about peeping toms from the balconies but Aara found that the tree prevented almost everyone from seeing into that section of the garden. The threesome had been sitting there for over an hour. Akina shifted and then lay down on her side facing their mother, resting her head on her brother’s lap. Kai waited for his father to protest but instead Sesshomaru started absentmindedly stroking her head and hair. Now, with sudden insight, he understood why his father never took him to see his aunt until just recently. Sesshomaru’s cool and aloof manner tended to disappear around her. “Why don’t we just wake her up?” Kai asked in a whisper. Sesshomaru shook his head slowly. “Vash said that she was brought here badly wounded. Kaiba and Kain may have healed her external wounds but mentally, she’s still recovering,” he replied softly. “Who brought her in?” Kai asked. “InuYasha,” his father responded. “Apparently he recognized her and sent Tennu for us while he brought her here.” “How did he recognize her? Does he know her?” Kai asked.

	“Yes, he knows her. Our mother helped raise him until his mother died. Afterwards she disappeared. The village had been hit by bandits the night before I arrived searching for her. They were acting strange but at the time I thought it was because InuYasha's mother had died and they hadn't taken care of her son. In retrospect, I think they did something to Mother or had something done to her.”

Kai rose to his feet. “I’m going to talk to InuYasha.” He quietly exited the garden and headed toward the Princess’ wing. “I didn’t think he would hold out much longer. Sitting idle is not in his nature,” Akina said. “She’s pregnant. That means she’s in heat. I wonder who the father is.” “The baby feels human,” Sesshomaru said, “but because I don’t know the details yet, we’ll have to wait to find out.” She giggled. “That question was rhetorical. I didn’t expect an answer.” Sesshomaru grunted but smiled. He loved his sister more than he has loved any woman, including his mother and even the Princess. If she hadn’t been his sister, he would have mated with her. Every woman he meet before the Princess was compared to Akina and was found lacking. Still, his love was not sexual. It was her soul that he had bonded with. He never had much of a sex drive, at least not until he was bond to the Princess. Whenever he felt any need he easily satisfied it himself. In the Human World he would have been called an asexual. Even now, after his bond with the Princess was broken, he had not sought for a mate. The fact that he had a son was a miracle. He knew he should try to find a mate, considering how few Dog Demons there were left in the world, but he knew any mating would be farce. He refused to live in a lie. Aara was the only woman he loved that way, and unless he found a clone of her or his sister, he will never mate. He was grateful for his son though. And he was grateful for his sister. It was because of her that he survived those dark days after that Dragon killed everyone. Akina feelings were very similar. Sesshomaru was her anchor. She had hidden herself away from the world because of her fear of being hurt again but she was definitely not asexual. She wanted a mate. For years she wanted her brother. She loved him and he was the only man she was around. She even tried to seduce him but she only ended up driving him away. Right after that he was bonded to the Princess. Akina thought she would die of the loneliness. He must have sensed her distress for he arrived just in time to save her from her depression. She had a lot of power at her disposal but none of it was useful in preventing the day her whole family died. Her sorrow ran deep and even when she acted like she didn't have a care in the world, Sesshie knew better. Akina probably would have killed herself the same day everyone died if it hadn't been for him. “Who was your anchor, Momma? What kept you going despite the pain?" she asked, looked at the Unicorn. "Sesshie, I think InuYasha was Momma’s reason to keep going after Father and our siblings died.” “InuYasha? Why him and not you or me?” “You were an adult and she didn’t even know that I was alive. I think Father asked her to look after InuYasha and his mother, since you made it quite obvious that you didn’t want the job.” Sesshomaru blushed. “Of course you realize that our mother has been alive for a very long time. She may have learn to handle grief better than us." "I hope so, but pain is pain and I don't think experience makes it any different or easier to deal with," she said "In my time I have hurt both Father and Mother." "At least you will be able to make amends with Momma" "Yes, but will she forgive me? In retrospect I regret that day with Father too and I'll never get a chance to ask his forgiveness. It’s ironic that now I have a hanyou son.” “Poetic justice. Although taking care of Rin might have helped. Do you realize that if you hadn’t been bound to the Princess and came to an understanding with InuYasha, you probably would have rejected Kai?” “Yes it has occurred to me. In fact, he probably wouldn't even be here and that would be a loss that I rather not think about. He has eliminated much of my loneliness. You know, you should find someone to mate, Akina. It’s not good to live alone.” “Who out here compares to you?” “He doesn’t have to be like me. The rest of our siblings had no problem finding mates.” “You’re a fine one to talk. The closest you came to mating was when you were bound to the Princess.” “That’s closer than you’ve been.” Akina sat up and looked at her brother who returned her look with a slight smile. “Are you trying to pick a fight?” she asked. Neither of them noticed a pair of Unicorn eyes observing them.

	Sesshie and Akina, both alive and here in front of me? Isabo thought. She shifted her form to human and sat on the grass watching them. It was like a dream, first her freedom, and now her children, what was left of them, sitting in front of her in this beautiful place. She was afraid to move less they would vanish and it would all turn out to only be a dream. Tears fell down her cheeks as she watched their friendly banter. Sesshomaru noticed her first. He placed a hand on his sister’s shoulder and looked past her.

Akina turned and saw her mother much as she remembered her. “Momma!” She scrambled to her feet and ran to Isabo. She fell to the ground and threw her arms around her mother. Isabo hugged her daughter to her and they both cried with joy and relief. Sesshomaru stood but didn’t approach. Part of him wanted to do exactly what his sister did, the other part of him, the stronger part at the moment, was afraid of rejection and of losing control of his emotions. So all he could do is stand there, watching them. Isabo loosened her hold and cupped her daughter’s face in her hands when Akina pulled back to look at her. “You've grown up so beautiful. I’m so sorry I didn’t look for you. I thought you had died with everyone else.” “It’s okay, Sesshie found me. You had to help take care of InuYasha. That’s what was foretold.” They hugged again.

High on a balcony stood Aara. She had found the only spot that could see the scene below. Vash stepped up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. “And you were worried about everyone else peeping?” he said. “Shh..” she said back. “Come on Sesshie,” she said watching the tall white figure standing apart from the other two. “Give in to it.” “Can you sense him from up here?” Vash asked. She nodded. “He’s holding back, afraid of being rejected and of breaking down but she would never reject him and breaking down is exactly what he needs to do to complete his healing process.”

Isabo looked up over her daughter’s shoulder at her son. She blinked a couple of times to clear the tears from her eyes. Sesshomaru was almost physically shaking with his efforts to restrain himself. His hands were balled into fists and he was averting his eyes.

	Isabo released Akina and placed her hands on her daughter’s shoulders. Akina looked into her mother’s eyes and saw the unspoken question. She nodded and rolled to the side and around to face her brother.

Isabo stood up, wavered slightly and then caught herself. Being chained to a wall for over 80 years does not allow for much exercise and just being rescued from death's door didn't help. She was still so weak. But her problems were not utmost on her mind at the moment. “Sesshie?” He looked at her. His lower lip was trembling slightly and his eyes were pooling with unshed tears. Isabo opened her arms inviting him. He could resist no longer. He rushed to her and nearly crushed her in his arms as she did the same to him. They collapsed to the ground as he openly cried on her shoulder. Isabo stroked his head as Akina reached around from the side and embraced them both. They were all crying together by the time Kai returned with InuYasha in tow. Kai hesitated at the gateway, momentarily concerned by his father weeping in his mother’s embrace, then he quickly joined them. Kai didn’t weep but he lent his emotional support. InuYasha stood at the gateway not sure what to do. He wanted to join them for he cared for Isabo too. The whole trip to the Castle he was so afraid he wouldn’t make it in time. Still, he didn’t want to intrude. Isabo saw him and motioned him to join them. She didn’t let go of her son but Akina opened up a space. He embraced Isabo from behind and then was included in the embrace of the whole family by Akina’s embrace of him. Sesshomaru looked up at InuYasha and saw his brother tensed for a moment. “Thank you InuYasha,” he said, and he smiled warmly at his brother for the very first time. InuYasha smiled back. Then they all settled into the embrace of love.

Aara smiled and turned to her mate with tears of joy in her eyes. “See, his mother knew what he needed,” Vash said, brushing her tears away. He bent to kiss her but broke apart when the door flew open. Taiki stood in the doorway. “Taiki?” they both said in unison. “Do you feel that?” he said as he passed them to stand on the balcony. Aara and Vash followed him and looked at the huddle below. They were starting to glow. “What the..?” Vash said as Aara clung to him. The glow grew and then it suddenly popped off of the group sending a wave of joy throughout the Castle and for miles beyond. Suddenly everyone was overwhelmed with the feeling of peace, happiness and love.

	“She’s an Ancient,” Taiki said. “What?” Aara said as if coming out of a daze. “Isabo, she’s not like the rest of us, she’s an Ancient Unicorn, an immortal Protector, also known as a Dragon-Slayer. My grandfather told me about them.” “A Dragon-Slayer? Our Dragons!” Aara said, suddenly afraid for their friends.

“Don’t worry,” Taiki said, “it was a title given to them because they could slay Dragons and survive, unlike my father. That doesn’t mean they had a vendetta against Dragons. The Humans were the ones who carried the vendettas. We thought the Humans and the Demons had hunted the Ancients to extinction, The Ancient Unicorns called themselves Protectors. They watched over the innocent and the good. Only evil feared them.” “So it looks like we may have another secret ally on our side,” Vash said. “Let’s go make her feel welcome.” Vash motioned them out of the room and then followed, closing the door behind himself.

Songs: "Closer" by Barbra Streisand and "Last Unicorn" by Loreena McKennitt